Microbiological, physicochemical, textural and volatile characteristics of traditional kashar cheese produced in Muş

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate physicochemical properties, microbiological qualities and volatile compound contents of traditional aged kashar cheese produced in Muş, Turkey. Vacuum packaged cheeses were purchased from six different local producers. Total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, total yeast and mold counts, mesophilic and thermophilic lactic acid bacteria populations (log CFU g -1 ) were in similar ranges in most samples (P>0.05). Coliform populations stayed below 1 log CFU g -1 . All six samples yielded negative Salmonella spp. and positive Listeria spp. results. The average compositional properties of cheese samples in percentages (w/w) were 55.73 ± 2.47 for total solids, 27.05 ± 1.73 for protein, 25.92 ± 0.98 for fat, 4.11 ± 0.33 for salt. On average, all color parameters were different for interior and exterior parts of cheese samples. The textural hardness levels of cheese samples were between 1548.73-5727.04 g and significantly different from each other (P<0.05). A total of 17 volatile compounds were detected by GC-MS. According to the results of this study, production steps and raw materials should be standardized to minimize the diversity among products.